History VideoGame / Returnal

* TheAtoner: Subverted. [[spoiler: Selene ultimately decides that atonement is impossible, and settles for "acceptance" instead, noting that Atropos is where she belongs.]]

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Once Selene makes her way across Atropos [[spoiler:reaches the White Shadow signal, and uses it to call for rescue it seems like the game is over. We even see an AgeCut of Selene living out her life on earth peacefully. But just because Selene dies away from Atropos, doesn't mean the loop is over. Cue her waking up on an overgrown Atropos all over again, starting the second part of the game.]]

* VideoGameDashing: Utilizing a JumpJetPack and provides Selene with invincibility during the dash.

* ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming: The boss monsters, and the planet Atropos itself, are all named after figures from Myth/ClassicalMythology.

* EldrtichLocation: Atropos, a shapeshifting planet home to TrickedOutTime and the ruins of a hyperadvanced civilization.

* CosmicHorrorStory: Played with. Selene is capable of fighting back proficiently; but on the planet her death is cyclical, [[spoiler:even though time isn’t]], and is inhabited by countless eldritch horrors.

* MismatchedEyes: Selene has these due to trauma enduced heterochromia.

* CosmicHorrorStory: Played with. Selene is capable of fighting back proficiently; but the planet where her death is cyclical, [[spoiler:even though time isn’t]], and is inhabited by countless eldritch horrors.

* PowerAtAPrice: Creatures native to Atropos are docile parasites that Selene can choose to have attach to her suit, providing a powerful benefit but also a considerable downside (for example, one parasite can negate a single Malfuction from a [[CursedItem Malignant item]], but deals considerable damage to Selene when it does so). Malignancy itself [[ZigZaggedTrope zigzags]] this, depending on whether the infected item is a chest containing a weapon or infected [[HeartContainer Resin]] or simply some money, and you're not guaranteed to pay the "price".

[[PlayerCharacter Selene Vassos]] is a Greek-American space pilot who crashes into an alien planet called [[MeaningfulName Atropos]], after trying to locate a mysterious signal she dubs "White Shadow". With her ship, Helios, sustaining critical damage, Selene is forced to explore the hostile environment of Atropos, using whatever equipment or weaponry she can find. Soon enough, however, she realizes that escaping Atropos won't be an easy task, and [[GroundhogDayLoop every death brings her back to the moment she crash-lands into the planet]].

''Returnal'' is a {{Roguelike}} ThirdPersonShooter with BulletHell elements developed by Creator/{{Housemarque}} and published by Creator/SonyInteractiveEntertainment for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5. It was released on April 30th, 2021. It is most notably Housemarque's first [=AAA=] production.

''Returnal'' is a UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 exclusive {{Roguelike}} ThirdPersonShooter with BulletHell elements developed by Creator/{{Housemarque}} and released April 30th, 2021. In it, the player takes control of space pilot Selene during her attempts to locate a signal she dubs the "White Shadow" coming from the planet Atropos. However, Atropos is meant to be off-limits, and for good reason. Shortly after entering the planet's atmosphere, her ship, the Helios, takes critical damage and crash lands on the planet's surface. Selene is forced to explore the planet's surface on foot, using whatever equipment she can find, alien or otherwise, to fight off the hostile wildlife and escape the planet. There's also the little matter of Selene finding her own corpses all over the place and recordings of herself that she doesn't remember making, [[SarcasmMode but we're sure that doesn't mean anything]].

''Returnal'' is a UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 exclusive {{Roguelike}} ThirdPersonShooter with BulletHell elements developed by Creator/{{Housemarque}} and released April 30th, 2021. In it, the player takes control of space pilot Selene during her attempts to locate a "White Shadow" signal coming from the planet Atropos. However, Atropos is meant to be off-limits, and for good reason. Shortly after entering the planet's atmosphere, her ship, the Helios, takes critical damage and crash lands on the planet's surface. Selene is forced to explore the planet's surface on foot, using whatever equipment she can find, alien or otherwise, to fight off the hostile wildlife and escape the planet. There's also the little matter of Selene finding her own corpses all over the place and recordings of herself that she doesn't remember making, [[SarcasmMode but we're sure that doesn't mean anything]].

* ApocalypticLog: The Scout Logs Selene can find are recordings of herself containing her thoughts about various things she comes across on Atropos. Considering you usually find them next to corpses, that version of Selene didn't exactly make it out.

* PowerAtAPrice: Creatures native to Atropos are docile parasites that Selene can choose to have attach themselves to her suit, providing a powerful benefit but also a considerable downside (for example, one parasite can negate the Malfuction from a [[CursedItem Malignant item]], but deals considerable damage to Selene when it does so). Malignancy itself [[ZigZaggedTrope zigzags]] this, depending on whether the infected item is a chest containing a weapon or infected [[HeartContainer Resin]] or simply some money, and you're not guaranteed to pay the "price".

* PowerAtAPrice: Creatures native to Atropos are docile parasites that Selene can choose to have attach themselves to her suit, providing a powerful benefit but also a considerable downside (for example, one parasite can negate the Malfuction from a [[CursedItem Malignant item]], but deals considerable damage to Selene when it does so). Malignancy itself [[ZigZaggedTrope zigzags]] this, depending on whether the infected item is a chest containing a weapon or infected [[HeartContainer Resin]] or simply some money.